Andy Murray Concedes He Fell Short of the Wanted Results for Djokovic

Andy Murray has stated that he "probably didn't get the results I would have wanted" during his six-month tenure coaching his past rival, Novak Djokovic.

Murray, who ended his playing career at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, entered Djokovic's coaching setup last November, but the collaboration dissolved after only half a year.

In his debut coaching role, the 38-year-old Murray teamed up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2025 Australian Open and three other tournaments.

"The role involves coaching not only one of the best tennis players but one of the best athletes of all time, so my assumption was that it was going to be immensely difficult," Murray remarked in an interview.

He continued, "Novak, like myself, is a perfectionist in terms of the way he goes about his tennis, [it] is extremely demanding."

Looking Back at the Period

Upon reflection, Murray conveyed that he is happy he accepted the role. "It's an unforgettable experience that I've had," he said.

During their time together, Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne, but was had to pull out with an injury from his contest against Alexander Zverev.

Following that, upon his comeback, Djokovic experienced first-round losses in Qatar and at Indian Wells, before losing the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.

"It was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play sensational tennis in that tournament," Murray recalled.

"After the injury, it was definitely a difficult few months for him, but also I think for the team and all of us. I was disappointed. Probably didn't get the results I would have liked for him. But I came away wiser about what coaching entails."

An Intimidating Start and Playing Reflections

Murray also shared an story from his first day on the job, when he was invited to join Djokovic on a run. He experienced calf cramps so as not to disappoint his fellow former world number one—a moment he called "awkward."

Reflecting on his own remarkable playing career, Murray admitted he "would have taken more breaks" to enjoy his successes, including after his two Olympic victories.

Opinion About the Tennis Schedule

The conversation turned to the present-day tennis calendar, a topic of discussion among top players.

Murray, who was hindered by injuries in his latter career, had voted against increasing the number of two-week ATP 1,000 tournaments, saying the increased time on the road would be detrimental to players.

"I don't think there's anything that shows players are getting injured more than before. But I do think players are more tired and mentally more fatigued than they were before because they're spending more days away on the road," Murray explained.

"When you're more fatigued, you're more susceptible to pain and discomfort. My belief is that's what players are feeling now, just being away for longer.

"I don't think the matches are so much more demanding than they were 10, 15 years ago. But it's the amount of time that players are away on the road that's truly an issue."